


The Mysterious Vial

by delorita



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Durincest, First Kiss, HRBB14, M/M, POV First Person, Poisoning, Pre-Movies, Sibling Incest, True Love, hobbit reverse big bang 2014
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-28 13:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2733512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delorita/pseuds/delorita
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt from the artist: What’s in the vial? Who gets to drink it? How did they come to have it? Will somebody need saving because of it, will it be the one thing they need to be saved, or will it make them do completely crazy things? Will it send them to a strange new world perhaps? You just don’t mess with little, mysterious bottles, man!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mysterious Vial

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Linane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linane/gifts).



> A/N: Written for the HRBB14 (Hobbit Reverse Big Bang) challenge over at Tumblr. Word Count limit was 5000 words. The first half was easy, the second half not so much. Many many thanks to linane-art for the beautiful, inspiring, MARVELOUS art!!!  
> [click here](http://linane-art.tumblr.com/post/104600813101/linane-art-dragonsquill-and-delorita-present-our)  
> Thanks for my always helpful beta [](http://loves-books.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://loves-books.livejournal.com/)**loves_books** .

 

A/N: This is set way before the movies happen, when they're much younger.

\+ + + + + Fili's POV

“Kili! NO!” I stand frozen for a moment, like I was paralyzed, when Kili moves the tiny vial from his nose to his lips.

I spring into action, grabbing the little thing from his fingers, “Are you out of your mind? This could be poison!”

Kili chokes and cringes instantly, clutching at his stomach, and my heart almost stops.

When I bend down with him, trying to help him as best I can, rubbing his back, he suddenly looks at me from under his fringe, his eyes sparkling as he grins mischievously at me. “Got you, brother.” He laughs and runs away to the far side of our private training grounds.

“Ohhh YOU!” I’m instantly behind him and I wrestle him down, anger and relief battling inside of me, giving me double strength.

We roll around for a while, all tangled legs and arms and hair. When I’ve finally secured him beneath me, his arms above his head, he just can’t stop laughing. I have to fight to stay serious, because his laughter is always infectious.

“What were you thinking, Kee?” I have a hard time trying to firmly hold him in place. He’s squirming and writhing beneath me, trying to get out of my grasp.

“It smelled delicious.” He wriggles one of his hands free and grabs me by the lapels, pulling me further down towards him, “I had to taste it…”

“Oh for Durin’s sake, you just can’t taste something we know nothing about! What are you? A dwarfling?” I feel my anger and worry rise equally, along with an uncomfortable feeling in my crotch. Why won’t he stop moving?

Suddenly I feel his hot breath against my lips and before I even realise it, he’s kissing me.

I’m up from the ground instantly, “Kee, what…?”

“Oh come on Fee, don’t tell me you don’t want it too!”

“Kee, wait, what?” I keep staring at him as he slowly gets up too, patting the dust away from his tunic.

“Kiss me.” He’s in my personal space again within the blink of an eye, breathing against my mouth. It’s not that I don’t want him though, it’s just such bad timing. “Kee, what exactly did you do? Did you really taste…?” I can’t say more because my mouth is suddenly occupied with a curious tongue sliding between my lips, probing gently, carefully.

I sigh and give in. I’ve wanted this for years, after all. Who would have thought a tiny vial of golden liquid would spare me the words I never seemed to find?

As I feel his hands in my hair, I lift mine up to thread my fingers through his, absolutely loving the sensation.

I’m completely lost in the kiss, when he suddenly pulls away and steps back, shaking his head, rubbing his eyes, “Fee, what just happened? Did I…did I kiss you?”

I’m short of breath, cursing. I should’ve known it was too good to be true. I only nod my head in response, not knowing what to say.

“I…I’m sorry…it’s…I’ve….oh shit, my head…” Kili sits heavily onto a large stone, holding his head in his hands.

My heart is in my throat and I kneel in front of him, “We need to go see Oin instantly.” I try to lift his chin and look into his eyes. “Can you walk? Or are you messing with me again?”

He slowly shakes his head. “I didn’t drink it, Fee. Really I didn’t, I only took a nose full…” He falls against me and starts to cry bitterly.

Kili crying? I’m out of my mind with worry and hold the fragile vial carefully between my fingers, surprised and equally reliefed it survived our earlier struggling on the ground. I place it gingerly into my pocket. I don’t even dare to smell it.

Kili very slowly calms down while I sit beside him, stroking his head and back. He hiccups and dries his nose with his sleeve and then carefully stands, leaning onto me.

“Why does something like this always happen to me, Fee?” He tries to take a step forward but grimaces as he sets his foot down. “Ow…ow, my legs are cramping…”

I groan inwardly, but encourage him with what I hope is a steady voice, “Let’s get you to Oin, he’ll know what to do.”

I can see his mouth turning into a thin line as he tries to stifle the quiet groans of pain while walking. He’s almost a dead weight against my side. I pray that it doesn't get any worse.

What in Mahal's name were we thinking, taking that stupid vial from Balin's workshop? Thorin would say that we were reckless and for once he'd be right to chastise us. And now Kili is paying the price. And all of that just because of a single sniff, if Kili is telling the truth.

Kili gasps beside me. I almost lose my grip on him when he becomes unconscious.

My own breath nearly stops and I lower him carefully onto the dry leaves on the ground. We’re at the back entrance to the mountain. No one is here to help me though. Utter fear is creeping up my whole body.

“Kee, Kee wake up! Don’t do this to me please!” I slap him lightly on his stubbly cheek just to do something. “Kee, come on!”

He opens his eyes as though nothing was wrong, sits up and looks at me, puzzled, “Fee? What just happened?”

I do a double take, pressing my hand against his forehead as he effortlessly stands, and I almost land on my butt. I look up just as he reaches out to help me to my feet.

I finally find my voice and stammer, “You…you all right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He blows his fringe out of his eyes, grinning his typical enchanting grin. “Fee, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

“Well, I have.” I swallow around the lump in my throat, “You don’t remember anything?”

“No, what should I remember?” He looks very innocently at me and I almost think the whole thing was a prank… but the crying? No, that was real. And not like my brother.

It occurs to me that my dear Kili doesn’t even remember us kissing.

Too bad.

But maybe good…I need to decide on this. “So, what’s the last thing you do remember?”

I take Kili by the arm and steer us towards the stairs, “Hmm…” he considers for a moment. “The two of us doing naughty things…”

Oh.

“Stealing a tiny vial out of Balin’s workshop. Why?”

I say nothing. We need to see Oin. Right now. What if Kili lapses back to hurting all over and being unconscious?

“Feeee! Why?” He pulls at my beard playfully, being his old wicked self again. I stop in the middle of the staircase.

Kili stops as well and looks expectantly at me.

I grab him by the shoulders and look at him with the utmost seriousness I can muster, “We better put that back as soon as we can. There’s dangerous stuff in there!” Luckily there aren’t any other dwarves around to overhear our conversation or stumble over us, as we’re standing in the middle of the way.

He blinks and licks his lips.

I sigh, wanting nothing more than to taste them again. My face shows nothing of that, though.

“How’d you know? Why dangerous?” Kili grabs my biceps now, eager with curiosity. His eyes sparkle, sensing the adventure he so loves.

“Let’s get you to Oin and then I’ll tell you.”

“Oin?” He frowns.

“Of course,” I say with a firm voice, “We can’t risk you falling unconscious again. I want him to check you out immediately.”

Kili rolls his eyes, “I’m fine, DAD!” he mocks me.

I shake my head, letting the _dad_ pass without comment. “We don’t know that yet.”

He huffs in annoyance and lets me go.

I’m tempted to take him by the hand and pull him towards Oin’s chambers, as I so often did when we were young dwarflings. Of course, I can’t do that.

“You’ll tell me what happened afterwards, promise?” Kili looks at me from under his long lashes and I sigh.

“Promise.”

“Everything?” He double-checks with an odd glint in his eye.

“Everything,” I respond, just to get him going.

“All right then, brother.” This time, it is him who takes me by the hand and pulls me into the direction of Oin’s quarters.

I’m so perplexed, I don’t let go.

++++

“We can’t tell him.” Kili whispers urgently when we are standing in front of the healer’s door.

“But we must!” I take the vial out of my pocket.

“He’ll want to know where we got it.” Kili’s eyes look like coals in the dim light of the torches down here.

“Well…”

“Lads! What are you doing at my door?” Oin comes from the opposite direction, carrying big linen bags.

I manage to hide the bottle again without him seeing it. Maybe it’s better that way. I just can’t decide.

Kili only grins.

“Kili’s been sick.” I find it difficult to only tell half the truth. “And he was briefly unconscious.”

Oin’s eyes open wide at that, and he shoves us and his bags inside.

“I think he ate some odd mushrooms,” I lie, and my dear brother gives me the cutest wink.

Since when do I think of him as cute?

“All right, let’s have a look at you lad.” He urges Kili to sit down and looks into his mouth first.

“You still feeling sick? Did you vomit?” Kili tries to shake his head while he has something like a spoon in his open mouth.

Oin then gestures towards a bed for Kili to lie down on. He shoves his tunic and shirt up to expertly press and probe at my little brother’s stomach and abdomen.

While I'm sick with nerves, pondering why we stupidly took that vial in the first place and if or when he’d get an attack again, Kili has to suppress giggles since he is so ticklish.

“There’s nothing wrong with your brother, Fili,” Oin says, after looking into Kili’s eyes and ears as well.

“See, I told you I’m fine.” Kili jumps up from the bed and sorts out his clothes, looking triumphantly at me.

“Thank you Oin.” That’s all I can say for the moment, trying to convince myself that he must be right.

“Have a nice day, lads.” The healer turns away from us, rummaging in the bags he had brought.

“Good day, Oin.”

Kili pulls me out of the door and almost slams it shut.

“I’ll be first outside!” he chirps gleefully.

“We need to get that damn vial back to the workshop.” I must be the voice of reason, at least this time.

“Not now Fee, there will be dwarves all over the place at this time of day.”

He is right.

“And besides, you promised!” He moves fast, stealing one of my knives, and is up the stairs in a blink of an eye, leaving me alone.  
I frown - Kili knows better than to take my knives - but for once I am in no hurry to catch him.

What am I to tell him?

Only that he was in a lot of pain and unconscious in the end?

Or that he initiated us kissing? The most tender kiss I’ve ever felt…

“Fili! I’m waiting!” My dear brother’s impatient voice echoes from above.

I light my pipe and go a bit faster as a group of other dwarves passes me. I smile politely, not wanting to get into conversation with them just now. I simply cannot think straight.

Once outside, the sun greets me.

“Now tell!”

Kili almost jumps me.

“Let’s go back to our training spot.” I need the time to think.

“Fee! You’re making me really curious! What did we do?”

I untie my pony from the entrance, luckily we brought them in here this morning. I mount it and wordlessly ride away.

Kili is beside me in no time, of course he is. “Brother, you worry me,” he says in that caring tone of voice he only ever seems to use with me, his light-heartedness gone.

I can only shake my head. I look at him sideways, catching his serious gaze. He’s so handsome…

I spur on my pony and start a race so I don’t have to talk or to look at him.

We’re at our private training place within moments. It's close but Kili wins the race, but there's none of his usual playful mocking forthcoming.

“Spill,” he demands jumping off his pony and sitting on that large stone, looking up at me. “Don’t mess around. What’s going on?”

I take my pipe and sit beside him, pulling the vial out and letting the sun shine upon it, making sure he can’t get his hands on it.

“It’s beautiful.” Kili has that hitch in his voice and I rush to hide it away before he has the chance to snatch it.

“It is, but it is also very dangerous.” I know I can’t be silent about it any longer. “You took a nose full and got a terrible headache, a crying fit, cramps in your legs and suddenly fell down, unconscious.” There, I spelled it all out in one go. Almost all.

“Oh,” is all he says.

I smoke in silence, not sure why I don’t want to tell him the rest of it.

He takes the pipe from me and pulls a few times. I don’t have to look at him. I know he’s leaning back on his elbows, enjoying the sun on his face. He has always liked the sun, my beloved little brother.

“Nothing else?” Kili asks, voice deep.

I do a double take. Was that a sensuous tone? My cock certainly thinks that way and I almost cringe. I don’t want to dwell on false hopes.

Just as I’m searching for an answer, he contemplates, “Weren’t we kissing?”

I turn to look at him, and I know I’m bright red.

“I thought I dreamed that.” Kili’s voice has gone down to a whisper, “But since I thought I dreamed the other stuff as well…”

I can only shake my head, lost for words. My brother looks breath-taking out here in the sun.

And he reaches for me. One hand slowly, hesitantly creeps up my arm. His gaze fixes me in place.

“I liked it, Fee,” he says under his breath. “Didn’t you?” His fingers tangle in my hair now, reaching my cheek. I lift my hand and hold his there, leaning slightly into his hesitant touch, searching his eyes with mine.

He looks unwaveringly at me, amber eyes shining. There’s hope there and uncertainty, and he’s looking at me with an expression I’ve never seen on his face.

“Fili?” he repeats, voice cracking.

“I liked it too,” I admit under my breath, and I turn my head to kiss his palm very gently, murmuring, “More than you know.”

Kili sits up very slowly, the most beautiful smile spreading across his features. “Oh brother,” he gasps.

Just when I’m about to kiss him, my body goes numb and I feel that I’m sliding from our large stone.

“Fili?!” There’s the most anxious tone in Kili’s voice, “Fili, what’s wrong?”

I want to answer him, want to look at him to reassure him that I’m all right, but I am not.

I can hear him perfectly fine, but I can't move, or keep my eyes open.

I feel panic rise and the same panic is reflected in Kili’s voice.

“Fee, Fee please…”

Gentle hands ghost across my forehead and face, frantic, urgent. “Fili, tell me what to do, tell me what's wrong!" A sob cuts his sentence off. It was suppressed, not like the crying he’d done earlier. Determined hands slide over my chest.

“Good, you’re breathing. Help, we need help.” Kili’s speaking to me as though I’m awake, which I am, though I might not appear so to the outside world. I am in no pain, luckily, but the numbness and darkness are terrifying.

“I’m getting help. I’ll be gone just for a few moments, do you hear me?” I’ve never heard Kili’s voice like this, overflowing with panic but trying to stay calm.

"No, I can't leave you. Mahal's flaming anvil, why did we even take that vial?!" I can feel his hands searching my pockets and realise that my shirt his soaked, just where I tucked the little vial away.

“Fee, it’s…it’s broken…”

A rustle beside me, a gasp then…Silence.

Damn.

The panic spreads.

Kili.

I want to shout.

I want to turn my head, open my eyes, see what happened to him, if he’s breathing too, maybe trapped in his body just as I am.

I can’t.

I can’t even move my little finger.

I will not succumb to madness though.

Concentrate, Fili, heir of Durin.

Concentrate. You are responsible. You did agree to this prank. You, too, thought it funny.

This is what you get for trying to be funny.

Trapped in your own body. Responsible for whatever has befallen your beloved little brother.

Concentrate. Find a way out of this, I order myself.

I hear birds, though.

I hear wind in the leaves of the trees.

I hear… someone’s coming. I hear the hooves of a pony.

Please, dear god, let it be someone who can help us.

“Kili! Fili!? Where are you?”

Uncle.

Good.

I hope.

The hooves get loud and louder and seem to stop mere inches from my head.

"By Aule!" Thorin sounds horrified when his knees hit the grass.

“Fili…” Strong hands are checking me over and I want to yell at him, HELP KILI FIRST! Nothing comes out, of course. I’ve never felt so utterly, devastatingly helpless.

“Thorin?” My heart skips a beat when I hear Kili move beside me.

“Kili, what happened?”

I HATE that question. It feels like I've been asked it a thousand times in the last couple of hours.

“That stupid vial…” My sweet brother bursts out and now there are two sets of hands on me.

“Vial? Kili?!” Thorin chokes out, and I hear rustling again, “Take your hands off! Don’t touch that stuff if it’s the vial I think it is…”

No. Noooo…that stuff is spread halfway across my chest now and it’s apparently dangerous to touch it. The numbness is slowly changing into tingling in my fingertips and toes, now that I think of it.

“But we can’t leave it on him, Uncle!” Kili, who miraculously seems to be normal yet again, sounds desperate.

“We won’t.” Yet more rustling and then the hands are back, lifting me up, trying to take my tunic and undergarment off. It’s like they’re wearing gloves or something similar.

“It’s my fault, it’s all my fault…” Kili admits, sounding exactly as I am feeling, “Thorin, he won’t die, will he?”

To my absolute horror, Thorin doesn’t say anything in reply. He's managed to strip my clothes off my chest and is using the bundled cloth to wipe at my skin.

"Kili, get the water, fast!" There are footsteps disappearing in the distance, I assume rushing towards the small stream nearby. "Fools! Always getting in trouble!" I can hear a tremor in his voice which speaks more of fear than anger, and that terrifies me more than anything else.  
By the time Kili has returned the tingling has spread into my arms and legs and my heart is racing wildly. I silently vow never to act so foolishly again, but it's too late now, and my last thoughts circle around protecting Kili from the same fate, before the world turns black, all conscious thought extinguished.

 

+++++

“Fee, don’t die, don’t die.” Kili is begging, sobbing quietly, holding my hand. “Fee please. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Soft lips are pressed against the back of my hand.

I want to let out a gasp of relief. I must have been unconscious for a while.

I feel a little better now, pulled back fromt hte threatening blackness, my heartbeat once again steady, any sign of tingling gone.

I still can’t move nor open my eyes, though.

“I love you, Fili,” Kili murmurs very softly against my ear. “Come back to me.” A pause. “I’ll never do such a stupid thing again in my whole life. I promise. I don’t want to live without you. I can’t.”

With that, I feel that soft mouth on mine again.“I love you Fee, wake up,” is added between each kiss, and my heart swells and I _want_ to open my eyes. I _want_ to say those words back. Want to pull him into my arms and tell him that everything is all right.

So why can’t I?

Suddenly, I hear a door opening and closing, and Kili goes silent. He doesn’t let go of my hand, though.

“I got it.” That’s Oin. “Here, Dis, hold his head up, we need to get him to drink this."

I hadn't realized our mother had come in with Oin...or has she been here all along? A witness to my brother's declaration of love?

When she lifts my head up, her hands firm but careful at my temples, something extremely bitter is slipped between my lips. Drops of some sort. My taste buds want to refuse them but I just _know_ I have to somehow swallow this.

“Come lad, open your mouth, drink this for me,” Oin says in an almost hypnotic voice.

“Please drink my son, I beg you.” Mother tries to stifle a sob.

I’m trying.

“Fili…” There’s so much pain and fear in Kili’s voice while muttering my name, and in the pressure of his fingers around my wrist and into my palm, that I somehow manage to swallow.

I feel the medicine burn down my throat and into my stomach and really want to try to open my eyes, but I can’t.

All goes black again.

++++

Eyes wide open.

Really?

Or am I dead?

Lights everywhere.

I’m lying in a bed.

Someone curled against my side. An arm flung across my stomach.

I blink.

Am I dreaming or is this heaven?

I can move. No numbness, no tingling, nothing. Maybe a bit weak, my bones heavy.

I turn my head, slowly, taking in my surroundings.

It’s definitely my bed chamber, alight with what seems like a hundred candles.

I blink several times, just to make sure my eyelids are working. And I carefully move my fingers. My right hand is tangled in something.

Feels like a lot of hair.

I look down to see my fingers twisted into the strands and curls of Kili’s dark hair. They’re so tangled, I wonder if it’s hurting him. But he’s fast asleep. His shoulders are rising and falling evenly.

The fingers of my other hand are laced together with his on my stomach.

My heart skips a beat when I notice it.

I squeeze slightly and my brother stirs in his sleep.

I hold my breath, anticipating his reaction when he wakes up. Also wondering how long I've been out.

“Fee?” Kili’s sleepy voice makes my whole body sing. I remove my hand from his head when he instantly moves to look up at me. He uncurls his long limbs from my side and scrambles hastily forward, our faces on the same level within the blink of an eye, both his hands on my cheeks.

“Fili. Fili, you’re awake!”

I want to answer him but my mouth is instantly occupied with his. Lips, teeth and tongue.

All I can do is lie there and respond in desperate kind, finally cradling that dark mess of hair between my fingers consciously.

When we have to break the kiss for air, I murmur, “I love you, too.”

He does a double take. “You heard it?” His mouth is soft on mine again before he asks, “How are you feeling? I…I thought you were going to…”

He doesn’t say more because the door is opening, he just keeps staring at me, though he doesn’t move from our compromising position.

“Fili.” There’s certainly a very emotional tremble in our uncle’s voice.

“The lad’s awake!” Oin sounds incredibly relieved.

“Oh Fili...” Our mother rushes towards us, pressing a kiss to my forehead as though I'm still her little baby dwarfling. I try to smile at her, with Kili still pressed to my other side.

Then I turn my head carefully, to look at Thorin and Oin.

Oin is beside me too and checks on my pupils, listening to my heartbeat for a moment.

Kili moves out of the way, to sit cross-legged on the bed.

“So how are you feeling?” The question is asked again and I try to think about it.

“All right, I guess.” My voice sounds croaky and like I haven’t used it in ages. I carefully move to sit up against the headboard. “Weak.”

“Dizzy, nauseous?” Oin asks.

“No.” I look at Kili, then back at the others. “How long have I been out?”

“A week,” Thorin states roughly.

I can only gasp. I reach for Kili to pull him into my side again, and he comes willingly, snuggling right against my shoulder, not caring what the other three think.

An awkward silence hangs in the room. I look from one face to the other, and none of us seems to know what to say.

“What was it, Thorin?” I finally ask. “I heard a lot of what you said,” I admit, clutching my brother as though he’s my lifeline, which he is.

“Poison.” Kili and Mother whisper at the same time.

“A liquid I found in the depths of the mountain. I gave it to Balin to study it carefully…”

“I’m sorry.” It’s all I can think of to say, breaking into Uncle’s explanation.

“How could you take it?!” he asks, upset, his anger barely under control. “You both could have died!”

Kili and I look at each other guiltily.

“We didn’t think,” I ruefully admit, feeling utterly stupid.

“I thought that much,” Thorin utters under his breath, his arms crossed tightly across his chest, a frown deep on his forehead.

Oin just sighs and takes my wrist between his fingertips, counting.

Mother keeps stroking my hair.

“We won’t do something like this again,” Kili whispers with utter regret. “We promise.” He looks at me expectantly.

“Yes, we promise, Uncle,” I say hoarsely.

Thorin just keeps glaring at me.

“You seem to be fine now, lad.” Oin tries to break the unpleasant situation. “Please stand for me.”

Kili scrambles off the bed and reaching out his hand, clearly wanting to assist me. I gratefully take it and shuffle forward on the bed until my feet hit the floor. Sitting freely is an effort already. I bravely try to stand, leaning heavily against my brother, Mother holding my other arm.

“Lie down,” Oin orders. “You’re not strong enough yet.” I do as he says and lie back with a relieved sigh, shaking from the effort of standing. Again I curse myself for our stupidity.

“Will he be all right?” Kili asks, fear clearly edging his voice.

“You’ll be responsible, best you make sure that he is,” Thorin says firmly. “Get as much food and drink into him as possible.”

“Of course, Uncle.” And Kili is out of the door, probably fetching food, just as I realise that my stomach is rumbling and my mouth and throat are extremely dry.

“Kili was affected too?” I have to ask.

“Yes, but not quite so badly, only very briefly when he took a nose full of it. But the fluid was spread all across your chest,” Oin explains.

I realise now that bandages are all around my torso. I can’t remember that anything hurt. As I look up at Thorin questioningly, he grumbles, “After you passed out at the training spot, your skin turned all grey…”

“Luckily they brought you to me and I just happened to have the right combination of herbs, to stop your skin from falling off.”

Ouch. I’m really grateful that I wasn’t awake for any of that.

At that moment Kili bursts back into the room, carrying cheese and bread on a large plate, a steamy mug in his other hand.

My gaze locks on him, following his movement all the way from the door to my side.

The others don’t exist for me in that particular moment. Only my beloved little brother. All wild hair, wicked smile and rumpled clothes from lying in bed with me.

“Here, Fee, that’s for you to start with.” And he kisses me right on the mouth when he flops down beside me, for everyone to see.

Mother gasps, Thorin marches straight out of the room and Oin wistfully shakes his head, “Lads, lads...” then he takes Mother aside and murmurs something to her.

My stomach feels like a hundred butterflies are flying around and around in it. I don't care if Uncle is upset about this or not. I've nearly died. I look up into Kili's sparkling eyes, licking my parched lips, encouraging him to do it again.

He does, briefly, but instantly holds out the plate to me. “You need to eat first.” He sounds demanding, almost like Thorin. I laugh a little and take a slice of cheese, carefully tasting it.

He pulls apart a small chunk of bread, offering it for me next.

Mother clears her throat behind his back and he slowly turns, like he has completely forgotten about her and Oin.

“Be careful, my sons,” she says, stroking a hand affectionately across both our heads. Then she leaves the room as well with Oin at her heels, closing the door firmly behind them.

“We need to grow up,” I mutter to myself, really not wanting anything like this to happen to us again.

“We will.” Kili smirks at me, feeding me another chunk of bread. I chew slowly, lost in thought, studying his beautiful features as he turns serious. I raise my hand to caress his stubble just as he traces my beard with his forefinger for several moments. Then he leans down to put our foreheads together, whispering earnestly, “I love you, brother.”

A chaste kiss, “I love you so much.” A more firm kiss, his tongue gently probing.

I sigh from the depths of my heart, sinking into the cushions, and let my little brother take control. My hands are buried in his wild hair, my tongue hesitantly, then more bravely, rubbing against his.

I feel his sigh reverberate in my chest, his fingers massaging my scalp and I never want our first real kiss to stop.

F I N 


End file.
